Fruit turning device



INVENTOR. fifan/g/kygcly/ o 0 d ATTORNEYS.

S. V. YECNY FRUIT TURNING DEVICE Filed Nov. 2'7, 1956 Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT 4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to driers, and more particularly to frames, trays, pans etc., as employed in the drying of fruit by natural or artificial means.

An object of this invention is to provide a device in the nature of a portable support or holder which is structurally characterized to enable a paper tray of fruit, such as raisin grapes, to be turned with the utmost ease and dispatch by a single operator and in such manner that following sufficient drying of the grapes on one side, the grapes can be transferred to another and similar tray with the reverse side of the grapes exposed for drying.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fruit turning device of the above described character which, upon the completion of a turning operation and the removal of the tray onto which the grapes have been turned, disposes the now empty fruit tray in a position to receive the grapes from another loaded tray when. applied to the device and a turning operation then eifected, to the end that after each turning operation, an empty tray will be positioned to reversely receive the contents of a loaded tray.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combinations, arrangements and functional relationships of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device occupying an initial position preparatory to turning the fruit;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, but showing the device closed;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 and showing the device inverted;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device occupying its final position after the turning operation.

In carrying the invention into practice, a base H] of rectangular outline has hinged thereto along one longitudinal edge at l l, a cover I2 also of similar rectangular outline. Inclined cleats 13 are secured to the ends of the base to support the latter in a position slightly inclined on the ground or other horizontal support, and strips I4l4-l4 are secured to the base around its -marginal upper edge at its ends and at its hinged side to sufliciently space the cover from the base when closed, to prevent crushing of fruit on a tray supported by the base.

The base 10 and cover 12 are constructed of wood or other suitable material, constitute fiat wall forming members co-operatively associated to occupy open and closed positions.

Projecting from the inner side of the cover adjacent the ends thereof and the hinge connection between the cover and base, are attaching means in the form of puncturing elements specifically illustrated as curved hooks l5-l5 having pointed ends and being of such length that when the cover is closed, the hooks will at least slightly penetrate the base for a purpose to be described in the operation of the invention, which is as follows:

A loaded tray A (Figure 1), which is constructed of inexpensive strong paper as now extensively employed in the drying of raisin grapes and which is of approximately the same length and width as that of the base 50 and cover I2, is slid onto the base as shown in Figure 1.

It is to be understood that the grapes on the tray A have been dried sufficiently on one side and are to be transferred to an empty paper tray B which latter is attached adjacent one edge to the hooks l5-I5 as also shown in Figure 1.

The operator now grasps the cover l2 and the free edge portion of the tray 13, and moves the cover to its closed position shown in Figure 2, wherein the tray B overlies the tray A. During this closing movement, the hooks l5|5 penetrate the tray A so that both trays are attached to the hooks.

The operator now inverts the device as a unit so that as shown in Figure 3, the grapes will be transferred to the tray B with the reverse side of the grapes uppermost thereon.

The base 10 is now swung upwardly and opened as shown in Figure 4, following which the newly loaded tray B underlying the now emptied tray A is grasped adjacent its free forward edge and is withdrawn from beneath the emptied tray by being pulled from the hooks 15, thus leaving the emptied tray attached to the hooks for use in receiving a load of grapes from another tray upon a repetition of the turning operation.

It will be apparent that after each turning operation an empty tray remains supported by the cover ii for co-action with a loaded tray on the base it in receiving the grapes therefrom upon inversion of the device, and that a loaded tray can be readily slid onto and off of the base from the ground or other support on which the trays are placed for the drying operation. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the device greatly facilitates the turning of trays which are and broadly constructed of paper or other material incapable of self-support, yet are inexpensive and sanitary as they can be discarded after use in drying the grapes on both sides. The device can be readily manipulated by a single operator who does not need to lift the device and its load during the turning operation, to the end of reducing the labor to a minimum.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of turning fruit on trays by utilizing two hingedly associated wall forming members one of which is provided with tray attaching means, comprising placing a loaded tray of fruit on one member when the members occup-y an open position; applying an empty tray to the attaching means; closing the members; inverting the members to cause the loaded tray to become attached to the attaching means, and to transfer the fruit from the loaded tray reversely to the empty tray; opening the members; and withdrawing the newly loaded tray from beneath the previously loaded tray, so that the latter will provide an empty tray connected to the attaching means for a repetition of the turning operation with another loaded tray.

2. The method of turning fruit on trays incapable of self-support, by utilizing two hingedly associated rigid wall forming members, one of which is provided with puncturing elements, comprising placing a loaded tray of fruit on one member when the members occupy an open position; applying an empty tray to the puncturing elements; closing the members; inverting the members to cause the puncturing elements to puncture the loaded tray and to transfer the fruit from the latter reversely to the empty tray; opening the members; and withdrawing the newly loaded tray from the previously loaded tray so that the latter will provide an empty tray applied to the puncturing elements for a repetition of the turning operation with another loaded tray.

3. A fruit turning device comprising two hingedly associated wall forming members; means on one of said members to which an empty tray can be attached for co-action with a loaded tray on the other member in reversely receiving fruit from the loaded tray when the members are closed and inverted; and means co-acting with said member when closed, to space their confronting surfaces from each other sufficiently to prevent crushing of fruit between the trays.

4. A fruit turning device comprising two wall forming members hingedly connected along one edge; a plurality of tray attaching elements on the inner side of one member at spaced locations adjacent the hinged edge of the members; and marginal strips on one of the members co-acting with the other member to space the confronting surfaces of the members from each other, when the members are closed.

STANLEY V. YECNY. 

